Of justification four disputations clearing and amicably defending the truth against the unnecessary oppositions…

Your second answer is, [It may be obedience by Assent, that Christ is the Messiah, died, rose, &c.] Repl. 1. If Obedience of mere Assent be not made the condition of Eternal salvation in Scripture, then it is not that obedience which is here mentioned: But the former is true: therefore the latter. 2. The first Assent to these Gospel Truths is not in a full proper sense called Obedience to Christ at all: therefore not here to be so understood. As subjection, so obedience is a term of Relation ⟨p. 368⟩on supposing the Authority of a Superior, the acknowledgement of that Authority, A command from that Superior, and that the action be therefore done because so commanded. Now the first Assent to, or acknowledgement of the Redeemers Office and Sovereignty, must needs in order of Nature precede all obedience to him as a Sovereign. I confess improperly a man may be said to obey, when he yields to the Reason and persuasion of another; but this wants the very form of obedience properly so called. If it be true that the first Acceptance of Christ for our Sovereign as Redeemer, by the Wills consent, may be both the Reception of him for King, and Obedience to him: Yet in order of Nature it is respectively a Reception first; though in time it is both at once. But the first Assent to Christs Sovereignty cannot be an obeying him as Sovereign. And for the understanding the Text, when I find Christ give the world, a system of Precepts, and tell them that he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him, I dare not without Reason restrain that obedience (in the sense of it) to some one or two acts: Especially when I find that he hath made the like promise on condition of other acts of ours besides Believing: as in many Text I have showed in those Aphor. Take my yoke and burden, &c. Learn of me to be meek and lowly, &c. and I will ease you, and ye shall find rest: Forgive and ye shall be forgiven. He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy, with multitudes of the like. And Rom. 10. that is called Faith, ver. 14, 17. which is called obeying the Gospel, ver. 16. And if the Gospel do as directly and urgently command Consent as Assent; yea if it command love to Christ as of equal necessity with both, I have reason to think that in this large sense, Faith includes it.

Your second answer is, [It may be obedience by Assent, that Christ is the Messiah, died, rose, &c.] Repl. 1. If Obedience of meer Assent be not made the condition of Eternal salvation in Scripture, then it is not that obedience which is here mentioned: But the former is true: therefore the latter. 2. The first Assent to these Gospel Truths is not in a full proper sence called Obedience to Christ at all: therefore not here to be so understood. As subjection, so obedience is a term of Relation